PRESIDENT’S LETTER - ARBOR PARK PTO · Web viewDana Chudzinski, Treasurer 20 th – Chuck E. Cheese Night JoEllen Martin, Asst. Treasurer 30 th – BACK TO SCHOOL BASH! PRESIDENT

www.arborparkpto.com

SEPTEMBER 2016NEWSLETTERThursday, September 8 th

Meeting at 7:00PM in APMS Library

Please join us in planning events that benefit our children!

The 2016-2017 PTO Board SEPTEMBER PTO EVENTSBarbie Exline, President 7th – Roller Skating

Sharon Daufenbach, Vice President 8th – PTO meeting

Linda Rana, Secretary 15th – Wendy’s Night

Dana Chudzinski, Treasurer 20th – Chuck E. Cheese Night

JoEllen Martin, Asst. Treasurer 30th – BACK TO SCHOOL BASH!

PRESIDENT’S MEMOWelcome back to the NEW school year! Even though Summer is so much FUN it also feels great to have the kids back into a routine and attending school again. I hope everyone had a great Summer vacation and had the opportunity to spend precious time with their families or to make a difference in the world. I am very excited to kick off another Fabulous School Year along with my “NEW” board… Sharon Daufenbach (Vice President), Linda Rana (Secretary), Dana Chudzinski (Treasurer) and JoEllen Martin (Asst. Treasurer). This is a great group of ladies that I had the pleasure of working with over the Summer to be ready for the new school year. The PTO has an AMAZING year planned with many activities such as… Back to School Bash, Wickedly Haunting Halloween Bash, Holiday Shop, Fun Fair, Easter Celebration, 5K RUN and all NEW “Arbor’s Got Talent” to name a few... These fun celebrations have always touched my heart with seeing and hearing the children’s smiles and laughter! We also have a Fundraising Committee that has been meeting all summer to introduce awesome and profitable programs that will tremendously benefit our schools. We plan on making it a goal of ours to post pictures again of the equipment, supplies and numerous other activities your hard earned money pays for that you could see and be proud that you helped us achieve this!

Last year we raised a total of $24,000!!!! WHERE DID THE MONEY GO????

THE PTO PAID FOR:

8th Grade Graduation Dance Science Night/ ScientistFab Lab at Scarlet Ryan’s Story/ Bullying PresentationKimberly Graduation School Step up DaysArbor’s Honors Reception Christmas AssemblyRobert Crown Learning Center Playground EquipmentBehavior Tower for Arbor Books for LibrariesArbor’s Band Program Faculty Breakfast to start school yearPopcorn for schools Art Fair10 New Banquet Tables for Schools Easter EventHalloween Night KMS NewsTeacher incentives to supplement their classrooms. College Scholarships

AND A$5,000 donation to Kimberly’s new playgroundThey really needed a new playground, if you haven’t had a chance to see it, please take a drive by!

Membership and parent involvement is a BIG key to our success!!! We will continue to issue PTO Key Chains to all families that join the PTO. Every family that joins the PTO will receive a key chain along with a laminated calendar of ALL the events we have planned for the school year. With this key chain, Members will receive “FREE “admission to ALL PTO events held at the school. Anyone who is not a member will pay $1.00 a person to attend. The key chains this year will be green opposed to the red ones we had last year. This additional revenue will allow us to continue these events, fulfill teachers wish lists and hopefully bring student enrichment programs to our schools.

Business Memberships are an AWESOME way to help our schools and promote your business! We have redesigned our webpage that lists all of our Sponsors and has a direct link to take customers to your business webpage in hopes that our families will frequent them more! A business sponsorship costs $25. With this sponsorship, the business will be listed in our PTO Newsletter, be listed on our redesigned web page, arborparkpto.com, receive an Arbor Park PTO Business Sponsorship sticker to proudly display on their front door AND all “NEW” have a square on our OAKFORESTOPOLY game we will be selling as a fundraiser this year!!!! So Excited!!! This will give the businesses exposure to over 600 families in our school district! If interested, contact JoEllen at [email protected]

Another “COOL” thing we started this year to help with parent involvement is using Signup.com. This is a free website that will allow parents to sign up to help at PTO events with a click of a finger. It will also allow them to pick

what time will be convenient for them to volunteer, what job they would like to do and be able to sign up with a friend. How AWESOME is that???

I would LOVE the pleasure to see and meet all the parents/ guardians/ teachers at our first PTO Meeting of the year on Thursday, September 8th at 7PM. Come meet the new PTO board and hear about all the great ideas and initiatives we have planned! We will also vote on fundraising ideas and the budget for the new school year.

If you have ANY ideas, comments, or concerns, (Positive or Negative) Please do not hesitate to contact me by phone, text or email.

[email protected], 708-655-0825 or arborparkpto.com

Looking forward to another AWESOME year!

Sincerely,

Barbie Exline, PTO President

TREASURER’S REPORT

Welcome to the 2016/2017 school year!We have been busy planning many fun events for this school year! Thank you to all the district families and staff for joining the PTO so far this year!Your membership money is put to very good use in all 4 schools and will directly benefit your children! It is not too late to become a member and receive membership benefits. You can send in $10 with your child in an envelope and mark it "PTO Membership".Please join us for our first PTO meeting on Thursday September 8th at 7 PM.We welcome all parents to attend and bring your ideas to make our schools a better place to learn. I look forward to seeing everyone at our PTO meetings, events and fundraisers!If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach me at: [email protected]

Dana ChudzinskiTreasurer

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH

“How does having a PARTY sound???”

The PTO is excited to celebrate its Second Annual Back to School Bash to welcome all students and families back to the new school year!!!

Please join us for a Night of FUN with friends and family on Friday, September 30th from 5-8PM.

We will have food and refreshments, an “Open Gym” to play basketball, BINGO with prizes, board games and more…

Entrance is “FREE” to all PTO Members; others will be charged $1.00 per person.

Don’t miss out on ALL of the EXCITING events we have planned for the school year, come and join the PTO that night! You can look forward to other events such as… Halloween Bash, Movie Nights, Easter Night etc. Admissions to these events are FREE to ALL PTO Members!!!

Any Questions, don’t hesitate to contact me… Barbie Exline 708-655-0825 or [email protected]

ROLLER SKATING EVENT

School is back and session!!! Let’s have some FUN with our classmates!Do you like to roller skate? How about getting together with family and friends?The PTO is sponsoring a roller skating night on Wednesday, September 7th from 6PM-8:30PM. It will be $4.00 to skate and $2.50 more if you need to rent skates. Come out and enjoy the FUN! A reminder will be sent home in an upcoming Friday folder.Any Questions, please call Barbie Exline 708-655-0825

CHUCK-E-CHEESE

The PTO will be hosting Chuck E. Cheese nights again!!! This is a great fundraiser that helps us raise money for the schools while having FUN!!!! Your support helps fund activities for all of our schools. Our first night will be on next Chuck E Cheese night is Tuesday, Sept 20th from 3p.m. - 9p.m. Each child gets 10 FREE GAME TOKENS! We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Wyllie – [email protected]

WENDY’S NIGHTWe are happy to announce Wendy’s nights are back once a month for the entire school year!

We have many exciting events planned for the children… Halloween Costume Contest, Santa Claus, Valentine Decorating, Easter Bunny, Game night and many more…

The GREAT thing is we can have all this FUN while earning money for our schools!

This is a fundraising program where our friends and family meet at Wendy’s and Wendy’s will donate 15% of total restaurant sales during our event!This is a PTO sponsored event, all money earned will go to our schools!The First date of the School Year is Thursday, Sept 15th, 5-8PM!

Looking forward to a GREAT year and having lots of FUN!Barbie Exline 708-655-0825

MANNA GIFT CARDS

New this year….Manna will only be available at Christmas. We will run twice in December. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail JoEllen Martin at [email protected]. SO THINK AHEAD AND DETAILS WILL FOLLOW!!

PTO MEMBERSHIP

Be sure to register to become a PTO member. It is only $10.00 for the entire year and some of the PTO events are “free to its members”. You will receive a green apple charm that recognizes you as a member and you & your family will be free to enter those events. PTO meetings this year will be

the second Thursday of every month. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail JoEllen Martin at [email protected]

SCHOOL KITS

Thank you to all the parents who purchased School Kits.  Please remember if your kit is missing anything – call me and I will take care of it. Also remember…all supplies are guaranteed – so if something break/cracks --- let me know and I will see if it can be replaced. Call or email JoEllen Martin at [email protected] (708-822-3609).   FYI – Next year Janet Arndt will be running the school kit program

KMS NEWSPAPERThe PTO is excited to announce we will once again be running the presses for the KMS NEWS!

The KMS News is a newspaper dedicated to Kimberly Heights, Morton Gingerwood, and Scarlet Oak Schools. This is a great learning experience where we teach the children of Scarlet Oak about interviewing techniques, how to grab the reader’s attention with words and about proper grammar and punctuation. It also encourages teamwork and how hard work can be so rewarding with the finished product. We also include writing samples and artwork submitted by teachers for Morton Gingerwood and Kimberly Heights. We have 3 newspapers per year, one for each trimester. Be on the lookout for the first edition soon

SCHOOL REPORTS:

KIMBERLY HEIGHTS Welcome to the New School Year!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend our move in night!  We can't wait to spend this school year with your children!

The following are a few reminders for the month of September:

Please check your child's folder daily to remain informed of any important information or for any forms that may need your attention.  You are always welcomed to call the office with any questions you may have or if you are unsure of something.  We are here to help!   

Our first fundraiser will begin on September 12th.  Information will be sent home in a few weeks.  Please do your best to sell to family and friends.  Your support will assist us in funding additional technological devices at KHS.

KHS Picture Day will take place on Thursday, the 8th of September.  Information will be sent home on September 2nd.  

September 1st is our Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum Night.  Please refer to your child's classroom weekly

news bulletin for the specific time your teacher will begin her presentation.  Due to the importance of the information that you will receive on this night, the staff asks that children not attend.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.  We understand if only one parent can attend due to child care or work obligations but we do ask that an adult attend for each child.

Our first school spirit day celebration will take place on September 30th which is also an Early Release Day. Students may wear their purchased school spirit shirts.  Our kindergarten students will be dismissed at 12:30pm. Please be at your child's bus stop on time.  Preschoolers Do Not have school on this day.

The Kimberly Heights Staff and I would like to wish you and your children a healthy and successful school year!

Eliza Lopez, Principal and the Kimberly Heights Staff 

MORTON GINGERWOOD We are so happy to have our students ba ck at MGS!! Things are off to a great start; students are learning new routines and getting to know their classmates and teachers. Soon we will be a tightly knit learning community! Please call the school with any questions or concerns. We are in the office from 8:00am until 4:00pm.

Labor Day is September 5th. School is closed; students do not attend school on this day. Enjoy the holiday with your family.

This year our fall fundraiser is sponsored by Great American. They have a variety of items to order, so we are hoping that you are able support the fundraiser in some small way. Expect order catalogs to come home on the 12th of the month, the day of our kick-off assembly. All monies we raise will be used to enrich MGS learning programs.

Lifetouch will be on campus to take school pictures on the morning of September 13th. I very much enjoy seeing students decked out in fancy dresses and sharp suits and ties.

On September 14th, 15th and 16th we will be benchmarking students in AIMSWEB. Please make certain your child attends school on those days. The data we glean from the test enables us to better teach your child.

We have an early release day scheduled on the 30th of this month. We will release MGS students at 2:10pm if they are walkers; we will dismiss bussers at 2:15pm (provided busses are running on time).

Again, welcome back!

Ms. Hogan and the MGS Faculty and Staff

SCARLET OAK Dear Scarlet Oak Community:

Thank you for attending move in night. I enjoyed speaking with all of you and look forward to a great school year.

Students have adjusted well in the first few days, as I remind all of them that we build on each day so the next is even a better experience!

Here are some September dates to remember. They will also be posted on the Scarlet Oak website found through our district homepage.

September 5th: no school in observance of Labor Day.

September 12th: Scarlet Oak fundraiser kickoff

September 15th: Scarlet Oak picture day

September 30th: Early release day ( 1:55 dismissal)

All Fridays remain SOS spirit days. Where red, white, and black

Remember to Remind! SOS has a remind.com site available. School events and reminders will be posted. Information on how to sign up for the site is available in the main office for those who have not yet signed up.

Looking forward to a great school year and working with a fantastic Scarlet Oak Community; parents, faculty, staff, and students.

Principal Scot Pierce and the SOS faculty and staff

ARBOR PARK Welcome back parents and students!This is the time of year that each of us start to find our groove after a long summer. As an administrator, I find the summer months to be the hardest because there is no energy generated by students or staff. However, the best plans come from extensive planning. With school back in session, kids resume their activities and schedules that provide the structure they need to be successful.

It seems like forever ago in February that I was approved to be the new principal at APMS. Finally, the start of the year has come and passed with great success. With so many new faces, our administrative team spent concentrated time on providing our new staff an orientation before the school year began. Our first day with staff was our District Institute Day, where they heard the major concepts about PBIS. (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports)

Later in that day, we participated as a full staff in team building activities and worked to create a shared vision that included more PBIS discussions. This vision or essential components will become our Panther Pact that unifies our team.

Below you will find a few pictures of the staff in action:

As we stated in previous communications, one of our top three School Improvement Goals for this year will be to implement PBIS with fidelity. Our three expectations or Panther Codes are being; Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Our entire staff will focus time on recognizing students who are reaching our expected behaviors and teaching behavior as we would any other subject. The outcome will be improved culture, climate and academic achievement. In order to provide a clear and concise message for students, we hosted our Panther PBIS Kickoff during the student’s first day back. This was a very special day for all of our students and staff as we began to share our expectations for behavior and building our school community/family. Students participated in activities by grade level, listened to the new incentive program and amazed us with their behavior!! We were so proud……

We are in the process of getting all of our important dates and a monthly newsletter posted on the website in the next few weeks so people can see all the amazing things going on at APMS. We start the year out with picture day on September 2nd. Students do not have to purchase pictures but they do have to have their picture taken for our yearbook. Don’t miss the Arbor Park BACK TO SCHOOL BASH on Friday, September 9th. From what they tell me, this is a very special tradition here at APMS.

Our first day off will be Monday, September 5th for Labor Day and our first early release day is on Friday, September 30th. Students will be dismissed as close to 1:00 P.M. as possible. Walkers and car riders will be dismissed at 1:00 P.M.

It’s been great to see our upper classmen helping our younger students to learn the ropes here. NJHS members assisted on Move-In Night and various leaders in our building can be seen helping younger students regularly. They are all very proud “Panthers”. They will be introduced to the instruments of our band on Friday, September 9th. The Parent Informational Night for band will be held from 4-8 P.M. More information will be coming from Mrs. Ruklic and Ms. Falls about Band.

Lastly, we invite you to join the PTO and support our school community. On September 8th, our administrative team will be providing an overview of PBIS at 7 P.M. in the Library and provide specific ways to support your students with PBIS at home.

Enjoy this wonderful time of year and thank you for all you do for our students!

Sincerely,

Ron Murabito